Top 20 Things I Learned from Being Sassy (11-15)

Some came to me easily; others, the super hard way.

As we wind things down at A Sassy Little Substack, here are things I’ve learned from being a super-sensitive, mouthy outsider.

15. Do the Right Things

This shouldn’t be hard but, evidently, it is. Common courtesy, basic politeness, personal responsibility, and realizing it’s NOT someone else’s job to pick up after you (not even if you pay someone to do that specifically). We should be doing the right things without an audience, without the desire to brag about it after; it should be self-satisfying. By doing the right things, just in our own little corner of the planet, we are making the world a better place. Really. So, make your bed, hold open the door for others, stand up to bigots and bullies, and floss twice a day.

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14. Be Kind

This really isn’t easy all the time. But 95% of the time it is. So do it. Kindness has an immediate effect — not only on the person you bestow it upon, but also you — and that effect ripples. It’s so easy to hold open the door, make eye contact and smile, say, “Thank you,” give a compliment, lend a hand. If you want more kindness in the world, lead the dance.

13. Wear What You Love

Fast fashion is killing the planet. Everything has been done before. There is no trend worth following. It’s all derivative. Which frees us up to wear whatever TF we want. But here are the rules: 1.) You have to love it; 2.) You have to feel good in it; and 3.) It needs to be clean. Don’t worry about how many times people see you in the same things. Do you love it? Feel good in it? Is it clean? That’s all that matters. Save yourself time, money, headaches and worry. Wear what you love.

How To Get Dressed In 5 Mins Or Less

12. Live Below Your Means

This is just the most annoying advice adults give to young adults, and it’s so cringeworthy because, when you’re starting out, you are barely making it. How can you live below your means when you can barely survive with your means?! But it’s annoying because it’s true. Yet, we ignore it and we keep on ignoring it, thinking that with every promotion and salary bump, we need to show it off by moving to a bigger home, getting a better car, investing in our wardrobe, vacationing in a more fancy manner. And it’s never enough, we are always cutting it fine, credit cards are used and balances left on them. It’s a nasty little cycle that we would be wise to break. And if we do that, we will be wealthy AF. Less really can equal more. And it’s never too late to start.

11. Don’t BS Yourself

I believe in radical honesty (with a dash of kindness, of course). And the person we need to be the most honest with is ourselves. If we aren’t doing what we know we should be doing, for our benefit/betterment, get really honest as to why. If we find ourselves in an unsatisfactory relationship (romantic, platonic, professional), or situation, we shouldn’t talk ourselves into staying. If we aren’t happy, we shouldn’t pretend that we are. BS-ing ourselves keeps us from our potential, from being authentically happy, from experiencing life fully. Why do that to yourself? Exactly. Don’t!

More of the Top 20 next week. Please share your favorite lessons in the comments. xo

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